I am working on a project and confused which file format to use to store audio and video files. Can someone please provide a brief explanation of the differences between the MP3 and MP4 file formats and which one to use for storing media files?
Well, the short answer - MP4 is overall better than MP3 format.
While both MP3 and MP4 are widely used digital file formats, MP3 can handle audio streams only. MP4, on the other hand can take care of audio-video streams.
The MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3) format shot to popularity in the 90’s with the rise of the Internet. You could burn plenty of songs on a CD but there’s a general loss in quality.
The MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14) is used as a container to store audio, video and even text-subtitles. The audiophiles will argue that AAC-encoded MP4 audio file sounds better than a similarly sized MP3.
Which one is better? If you have a solid collection of music created at >= 256kbps, you don’t have to worry. If you are ripping your old CDs, you could use lossless ALAC MP4s.
If you are looking for detailed information on the difference between MP3 and MP4, head over to MP3 Vs MP4 - Difference Between The Two File Formats.
I hope it helps. Let me know if you have follow-up questions. 